Singapore-based cryptocurrency platform Travala has launched a protocol it says allows AI agents to search, book and pay for hotels using USDC (USDC) based on Layer 2 blockchain, extending indirect AI stablecoin payments to travel bookings.
Travala Travel MCP is available through Claude Desktop, and third-party developers can integrate it with their own travel agencies, Travala said in a statement sent to Cointelegraph.
The company says the system connects Travali’s hotel inventory to AI agents via the Model Context Protocol, an open standard that allows AI applications to connect to external tools. Payments exploit Coinbase’s x402 protocol on Base, and Travala says the setup enables gasless USDC transactions, near-instant settlement, and transaction costs of around $0.01 per reservation.
AI travel still requires human consent
However, final payment authorization still requires manual consent from the traveler, which means it is not fully autonomous, but more advanced than a chatbot that only recommends routes.
The launch comes as crypto companies try to make stablecoins useful for machine-to-machine trading and ride the wave of crypto payments infrastructure aimed at AI agents. Cointelegraph recently reported that x402-related wallets on Base have surpassed 100 million transactions, while Fireblocks, MoonPay, Exodus and Oobit have launched AI-powered stablecoin payment products.
Cumulative agent transfer volumes in Base. Source: Chain analysis
Travala described the launch of the service as an early step toward autonomous travel booking, even though travelers still retain final payment consent, and said it was offering developers a 10% Coinbase Wrapped BTC (cbBTC) discount on completed stays booked through its agents.
“The launch of the world’s first AI-powered travel protocol means the death of the payment button,” said Travala CEO Juan Otero, calling it the beginning of a “truly autonomous travel economy.”
Travala said the setup uses ERC-7715 session keys, allowing the AI agent to request payment while retaining final signing authority in the traveler’s wallet. The company says the protocol can maintain context around searches, bookings and cancellations in a single chat thread.
Related: x402 powered by Coinbase adds bulk settlement for AI agent payments
Travala plans to implement travel services more broadly
Travala said the protocol covers more than 2.2 million hotels, including Marriott, Hilton and IHG deals that come through hotel aggregator partners.
The company said it plans to expand the protocol beyond hotels to other travel products, including flights, and expects the Travala loyalty token (AVA) to support future Travel MCP exploit cases.
Travala was founded in 2017 and competes with cryptocurrency-friendly travel platforms such as Sleap.io and Alternative Airlines, although its latest protocol shifts the comparison from crypto payments to its AI agent booking infrastructure. The company claims to accept over 100 cryptocurrencies in addition to fiat currencies.
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Additional reporting by Christina Comben.
